Pregnancy exerts a particular physical toll on a woman's body due to the demands of the growing fetus. Naturally, the abdominal muscles and pelvic ligaments and joints are strained. The added weight of the growing fetus also naturally shifts the mother's center of gravity causing a disruption in posture and balance, causing pain to the lower back and other parts of the body. Muscle spasms are also a natural consequence. In addition, stress is placed on the spinal cord as the body tries to compensate for the added weight of the fetus and maintain balance throughout the pregnancy. This stress on the spinal cord can be the source of back, neck, and shoulder pain as well as headaches. The fetus can also place pressure on the lungs especially in the third trimester. In addition, there is increased stress on the circulatory system due to the increase in body fluids and blood supply, which can result in problems in circulation as well as conditions such as edema.
Supportive undergarments currently available to pregnant women are directed primarily to support and compression under the belly and are targeted primarily to reducing lower back pain. Typically, such garments are either singularly compressive, or have two zones of compression, the higher compressive bands being positioned under the belly.
For example, maternity bands and belts are targeted to provide lift support to the belly and to thereby also reduce strain on the lower back by adding a compression band under the belly. Tummy tubes provide similar support as well as compression across the belly and can be used as a post-partum garment as well. Tank tops are also available that extend the compression band to the shoulders for added lift by crisscrossing along the back, while providing less compression to the area over the belly. Similarly, a maternity panty is known that provides more compression under the belly and around the lower back than across the belly, optionally extending to a mid-thigh area as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,113,911 to Hansen et al. discloses a maternity body support having a lightweight body shell with a front abdominal opening. The '911 patent discloses that the body support can work to correct a woman's posture during pregnancy by anchoring each of the wearer's shoulder to the opposite pelvis through a complex system of anchors located adjacent each shoulder and pelvis and criss-crossing adjustable straps fixed diagonally thereto.
In addition, though posture improvement shirts are known, these garments only address alignment of the upper back through nerve stimulation. They are not effective for addressing alignment along the entire spinal column, or for relief of pain and discomfort to the neck, shoulders, and upper and lower spine. For example, U.S. Ser. No. 12/126,338, filed on May 23, 2008, and published as US Pub. No. 2009-0062704 by Brown et al. on Mar. 5, 2009 discloses posture improvement shirts adapted to improve the user's body alignment of posture through the use of neuromuscular stimulation. Brown discloses a proprioceptive panel extending over the upper back or inter scapula region of the wearer. The panel can be comprised of a heavier material than the surrounding material. Brown discloses that nerve receptor stimulators, such as “neuro-nubs,” can be disposed on an inner surface of the shirt and can be located at known acupuncture sites. Brown does not disclose a body suit for maternity or post-maternity wear.
While some of the garments described above may help to alleviate lower back pain, neither the maternity garments nor the posture-stimulating shirt disclosed by Brown are adapted to alleviate pain and discomfort to the neck, spine, and shoulders, particularly in the case where the wearer is a pregnant woman. In this case, the strain on the entire spinal column, as well as on the neck and shoulders need to be addressed. Furthermore, the system of the '911 patent is bulky and unsuitable for use as a formfitting undergarment. Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide undergarments to address and alleviate pain and discomfort in the neck, spine, and shoulders, as well as in the lower back of a wearer. There is also a need to provide an undergarment with the same benefits which can be worn by a pregnant woman, and which can additionally help alleviate the additional effects caused by stress and strain on the lungs and circulatory system.